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The Relationships Between School Poverty And Student Achievement In Maine, David L. Silvernail, James E. Sloan, Chelsea R. Paul, Amy F. Johnson, Erika K. Stump

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

The goal of this study was to examine the relationships between school level poverty found in Maine schools and student academic performance. The evidence clearly shows that there is a relationship. As the percent of poverty increases in a school, student performance declines. But the poverty level alone does not explain the wide variations in performance found across the state. The level of poverty in a school is the single best predictor of average student performance, but other factors also play a role in influencing student achievement. Some of these factors include the type of school students are enrolled in, …